The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-08-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER


Civil Service Com missioner Edgertons re-
ply to the structures of Mr.. George William
Curtis, on the civil service system is al! thai
the true friends Of reform have a right to eX-
pect, showing, as it does. that the President
and the Democratic party have redee
their pledges in that regard, at least to the
full letter of the civil service act. 1t is frank
" admitted that more Democrats than Re
publicans are appointed because Republican
politicians have fostered the false impression
that members of that party had no chance,
thus lettering many from attempting an eN-
animation, while, on the other han Demo
Gratis had nothing to discourage their aspira-
tions. Mr. Edgerton asserts most positively
that the political rinion Of the candidates for
places are not known in any case. and that
all the names of those who PISS an eXamina-
ton are rated in the list of eligbles. The
Democrats who have criticised the Admins
tration for failing to '.turn the lascais out
fast enough. should certainly find some conf
fort in studying the returns of decapitations as
made by the Pest Office Department for the
past three years, which, as Horace Greeley
would say, will be "mighty interesting rea
ing During the last fiscal year ',o4S Off
ces were established discontinued, loo =
appointments on designations and commits
sions expired, 5,Sc3 appointments on the
change of names and sites, 1872; appoint
ments Oh death of postmasters, lS!'; total
number of appointments Of postmIsters OF all
grades during the year, 1903 for the years
1885 and 1886, 22,147. respectfully, making
total OF 4G,377:fi for the three years Of Demo
cratic Administration, which think is pref
tv fair showing from Il purely partisan stand
point, your correspondent believes that "the
boys in the trenches" should fill the offices.
The great and good work of retaining
public lands from the grasping and CT, edy
railroad corporations, who have forfeited their
chartered rights, still goes on, keeping step to
the music of reform and the rights OF the peo-
pie. The most important decision OF this
| kind given in years was rendered by the Sec
rotary Of the Interior few days slice, revok
in. The order OF his Republican medt ces:or,
which withdrew from settlement. under the
|
condilionaly granted by Congress to the At
lantic and Pacific railroad Company-amount-
ing to twenty-five or thirty million acres OF
| land, in this case alone the order applies to
several other railroads as well and it is at
present impossible to name the vast number
of acres added to the public domain. Every
honest Western settler will now be moved to
toss up his hat and hands and enthusiastica,-
ly 'ihooray' for Lamar, who thus courageous
ly performs a great public duty that enshrines
his name among the gods of their humble
households.
The death OF Professor Spencer +. Baird.
Secretary Of the Smithsonian II s.itution, and
| Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries is one Of
the greatest calamities that could, betal the
world of science. He devoted a long and use
full life to scientific researches and literary Ia
bors, and his works .on Natural History and
science, enttle him to rank with Audubon
and Agassz, with both of whom he has been
associated in their tayorite fields of endeavor.
Professor Baird was truly benefactor of his
race, for TO him the people of the nited
States are chiefly indebted for the upbuliding
of the Fish Commission, the propagation OF
! fish in all their waters, and the consequent
| cbeapening Of that excellent article OF food.
The people eff the District of Columbia are
sill groaning under their burden of debt and
protesting against their form of government
given them by the Republicans which is taxa
ton without representation. They are carry
ing debt of more than sol 900, O00-consum-
| ing a million and quarter annually in inter-
est and sinking fund, and the District Of Co
lumbia would have been bankrupt long since,
but for the fact that the United States bears
halfthe expenses of government. One public
meeting after another is being held, and if ag
itation will accomplish anything, relief from
existing evils may be had of tie next Con-
gress.
\ movement is being made ali along the
line in Grand Army circles to have the exist
ing system of pension payments changed, SC
as to have them made monthly instead of
quarterly. The argument in favor of this
change is based upon the assumption that it
would be more convenient for the pensioners
to receive their money from the government
as thei. monthly bills become due.
The exports of American brea'stutl', which
have shown a tendency to decline OF late
years, have been picking up very rapidly since
the beginning of 1897. The figures for the
last seven months are G0,OOO,000, against 81,
OO0, 900 for the corresponding period Of lasl
year, nd the statistician of the Department
of Agricu lture finds that in the wheat imports
10 the United Kingdom the United States is
resuming its old place. That is TO say. we
are furnishing seventy-three per cent. OF all
the wheat and flour imported for British and
Irish use, instead of barely sixty-one per cent,
as was the case last gear. Russia has fallen
OFF in the competition for the British alket,
and SO has India. albeit the interests of Great